And Here's To You Mrs Robinson
by OUATShipper
Summary: Regina is reluctant to send Henry off to college but her mind is soon changed after she meets his roommate, Robin Locksley.
1. Chapter 1

**_Hi guys, I saw this prompt on Twitter and I really wanted to write about it! I hope you all enjoy! Oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

Today was a big day for both mother and son; it was one they would remember for the rest of their lives, in fact, it was a part of life that no mother ever wished for. As much as Regina tried to prolong the event, Henry was finally moving out and heading to college, her baby boy was on his first steps towards full adulthood. This was the last time for a while where she would get to make him breakfast, the last time she would see him in the comfort of his home without evidence of him ever being away. She knew that this moment would come but she never expected it to happen so fast, she could have sworn that just yesterday she was changing his diaper but although it felt like it, life didn't stop for anything. She had spent the previous couple of weeks trying to prepare herself for this moment so that it wouldn't creep up on her so at least that way she could hold some of her emotions at bay but who was she kidding? This was her baby boy and he was about to lead his own independent life.

When Henry had told her that he had been looking at colleges at the beginning of the year she wasn't exactly surprised, ever since he was a young boy Henry always had a plan and she was glad that he had picked that trait up from her even if it was one of the only ones. Of course, she supported his decision one hundred percent, Regina Mills would not have her only son spending the rest of his life here in Storybrooke working as a janitor, there weren't any colleges in the town and for that she was grateful, at least Henry would be getting a decent education when he left for college. However, what surprised her was when he told her he wanted to become a writer. She knew Henry had always had an active imagination and his stories were out of this world but she always just assumed that he would follow in the footsteps of her brother and become a fireman; he had always admired Neal so it came as a shock to them when he admitted to his passion for writing. Nonetheless, Regina ensured that he received endless amounts of support and a big part of her was glad that he was trusting his instincts and doing something that he loved rather than allowing himself to be influenced by those around him.

Regina stood in front of fireplace with a small but sad smile on her face as she observed the countless photographs of Henry as he aged through the years, she couldn't believe that the floppy-haired, clumsy brown-eyed eight-year-old in the picture was about to move out of their home. The brunette was brought out of her reminiscing by a voice behind her. She hummed as she turned around to face her son, he had grown so tall over the past two years, he towered over her but she could still picture him as the short boy who struggled to steal cookies off of the dining table.

"You ready to go? I've packed my things in the car." Henry said gesturing towards the open front door with his hand.

At first he wasn't amused by the idea of Regina driving him to college on the first day but he immediately changed his mind after seeing how upset she got when he said he would go with Violet. He knew this was a big deal for his mom so, rather than going with his girlfriend, he promised Regina that it would be just like old times when they went on car trips with Emma and Killian.

"Of course, dear," she smiled softly as she headed outside towards the car.

Almost as soon as they were both buckled up, Regina turned to him with concern filling her face. "Are you sure you have everything? Perhaps we should go back inside just to be sure; I can make you some hot cocoa whilst we check."

Henry let out a chuckle as he quickly stopped his mother from unbuckling her belt, "I checked everything twice and then again after I packed them in the car." He chuckled as he feigned a defensive look, "I promise, I'm not completely incapable."

Regina shook her head lightly before letting out a chuckle of her own and starting the car, reluctantly pulling away from their home. They had a long journey ahead of them but Regina knew it would pass quickly so she figured she would make the most of her time left with the eighteen-year-old and so they spent the rest of the car ride talking about what Henry would do when he arrived or when he would come back home and, much to Regina's annoyance, Henry would often jokingly mention how much time she would have to spend with Killian when she got back home. It wasn't that she didn't like the man, in fact they got along just grand, the only downfall of their relationship is that they are far too alike and often clash due to that.

Although it was a four hour drive, the two now found themselves getting out of the car as Regina observed where Henry would be studying for the next few years whilst Henry got his things out of the car.

"So, what do you think?" He asked they began walking towards the dorms.

Regina tried not to grimace at the sight of the obvious frat boys leering and practically drooling over her as they walked through the dorms in search of Henry's but other than that, she was glad that her son had chosen this place. It seemed sophisticated enough but it was clear that the professor's knew how to have fun considering that she just witnessed one of them walking past her with a Nerf gun, boy could she only pray that Henry spent more time focussing on his degree than messing around.

"Just don't get involved with the wrong people." She said with an eye roll as she heard another wolf whistle.

Eventually, they arrived at Henry's dorm and the teenager opened the door, surprised to find it empty aside from the beds on either side of the room, the desk in front of the window and the unzipped bag laying on one of the beds. It appears as though his roommate for the semester had already arrived and had wandered off. The two Mills' stepped inside and again, Regina tried not to grimace at the sight of the small room. It wasn't that she was a snob or anything; she just didn't understand how you were supposed to get work done in such a confined area. However, Henry seemed more than content with his new living arrangements as he happily set his bag down on the floor and observed the outdoor surrounding through the window. The boy then decided that he was going to grab some coffee, telling Regina that he'd be fine to go on his own. After about a minute of her being in the room alone, she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and closing accompanied by a tall, lean figure entering the room. Regina turned to look at who had just joined her; a clean-shaven male with sandy coloured hair and wearing a t-shirt that clung to his defined body.

Regina tried not to audibly gasp when their eyes met, she could immediately sense the attraction between them. He was perfect in every way with his deep blue eyes she could easily find herself getting lost in, it was obvious that he couldn't have been that much older than Henry considering he had the physique of a twenty-year-old and the face of an angel, she also couldn't help but notice the lust in his eyes as soon as he looked at her and she felt a pool arousal rush to where she hadn't been touched in so long. She quickly removed those thoughts from her mind when she realised that she was almost a decade older than the boy and the fact that he was going to be roommates with her son.

"Robin Locksley, it's a pleasure milady," his eyes sparkled as his small smile showed off his dimples and he stuck his hand out to her.

Regina almost swooned at his accent, it wasn't everyday she met an Englishman. She blushed as she gently took his hand and shook it lightly, "Regina Mills."

"Would I be correct in assuming that we're going to be living together for the next year?" He asked, still holding onto her hand.

Regina chuckled lightly, "I'm actually dropping my son off, he should be back any minute."

Robin bit his lip softly as he hummed, "Pity, it's not every day I have a woman as beautiful as you in my bedroom." He joked.

At first Regina's eyes widened at what she thought was him coming on to her but laughed as soon as she realised that he was kidding, he seemed like a sweet guy and she was happy that he was going to be sharing a room with Henry, maybe he would keep her son out of trouble.

Their small introduction was then interrupted by Henry returning into the room with coffee for him and Regina, smiling when he noticed someone else in the room.

"Hi, I'm Henry Mills," he said to the stranger.

Robin gave him a genuine smile in return, "Robin Locksley, I believe we're going to be roommates."

Henry's smile widened when he heard Robin's accent, "Where in England are you from?"

Regina smiled at the fact that her son had already made a new friend, a new friend who seemed like the type of guy who'd keep Henry on the right track. She watched as the two shared a conversation with each other, all her concerns about her son beginning college disappearing. Eventually, it became time for her to leave otherwise she would get caught in traffic and wouldn't arrive back home until late at night.

"Do you want me to walk you to the car?" Henry asked, hoping that she'd say no so he could spend time with his newfound friend.

"No, that's quite alright, dear," she smiled sincerely, giving him a kiss on the forehead as Robin stood up besides the door.

Regina moved away from Henry and smiled as Robin opened the door for her.

"It was a pleasure, Mr Locksley."

"I can only hope that we'll be seeing each other again soon, milady." He suggested with hope.

Regina looked down and blushed, "Perhaps." She said quietly before leaving the room and heading back to her car.

As soon as the dorm door was closed, Robin sat on the bed opposite Henry's and smiled, "You have a wonderful mother."

Henry just nodded in response, not particularly interested in talking about his mom anymore.

And with that, Robin spent the rest of his day thinking about the woman he had found standing in his dorm room, thinking about how beautiful she was whenever she blushed or how her brown eyes would darken whenever he subconsciously flexed his arms. She was positively beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen but he knew he would be playing with fire, she's his new roommate's mother for God's sake but that wouldn't deter Robin. That night he went to bed dreaming about the brunette who refused to leave his mind whilst Regina guiltily thought back to the young English gentleman she had encountered earlier that day, she kept reminding herself that he was just a boy but she could have sworn that his eyes were on her the whole time they were in that room and she slept with a smile on her face as she realised that sending Henry to college wasn't so bad after all.

 ** _Hope you guys enjoyed, this will be multi-chaptered so if you did enjoy don't worry, there will be more! Please leave a review and let me know what you guys thought! Thank you_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Okay, so the first chapter seemed to have been a bigger success than I thought would and for that I am so grateful that you all took the time to read/review/follow it. Also, for the reviewer who asked, Robin is eighteen going on nineteen and Regina is thirty-nine. Anyway, here's chapter 2! Oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

"And then my father was offered a job in New York and ten years later here I am, trying to make it on my own without a clue in the world," Robin told Henry as he finished off his beer.

Their first week at college had flown in and, much to their dismay, they were unable to have the chance to get to know each other better due to their timetables as Henry began class before Robin had even awoken and by the time Henry came back to the dorm, Robin was at his class. That's exactly the reason why they were laying on their beds, staring at the ceiling whilst nursing beers they were given by some frat boy as they spoke about their lives back home and whatnot. After Robin had finished off his story about how he came to be living in the US, Henry nodded against his pillow.

"What about you, mate? Any extravagant adventures I should know about?" Robin asked with interest as he turned his head to look at his roommate.

Henry let out a small chuckle, "I wish. My life isn't nearly as interesting as yours, I lived in Storybrooke my whole life, just my mom and I and that's about it." He sighed as he thought back to a time when there was two adults involved in his upbringing but quickly removed those thoughts from his head.

Robin furrowed his brow slightly, "If you don't mind me asking, what about your father? I mean, you say that you grew up with your mother and she was the only one with you at the beginning of the week."

Henry pressed his lips together as he pondered on whether he should tell Robin the truth or just leave it be but eventually decided that he would just tell him, besides, Robin had already proven to be a decent guy, Henry doubted that he'd judge him because he had a different upbringing from most kids.

"He, um, he died when I was five-years-old."

Robin's eyes widened at the confession, he abruptly sat up on the bed and turned to face Henry, a wave of sympathy flowing through his mind for not only Henry but for Regina. The older woman had been on his mind ever since their first meeting four days ago and he could only admire her for raising Henry alone, he can't imagine how hard it would be living as a single parent knowing that your partner was never going to come back. However, before he could say anything, Henry looked at him and gave him a knowing smile.

"It's okay, at least I got to spend a little time with him, you know? Besides, I had my mom to take care of me and I think she's done a pretty good job at that." He joked.

Robin smiled in return, once again thinking about the brunette goddess who was constantly invading his thoughts. He knew it was wrong of him to be thinking about her in that way, she was his roommate's mother; there was no chance in hell that he would ever stand a chance with her but that didn't mean that she wouldn't be worth the fight.

"You're very lucky to have her." Robin told him sincerely, not really surprised when he received a shrug in response.

Meanwhile, Regina was sat in The Rabbit Hole waiting for Emma to show up, the brunette absolutely detested this place so it was fair to say that she was less than pleased when her best friend suggested that they go out for drinks but in her defence, she was getting kinda bored sitting in her house alone at nights. Before Henry left, the two would have dinner together before spending the evening watching a movie in the living room but now, it was just her and she wasn't used to being left in on her own. She had been sitting at the bar for nearly half an hour as she checked her watch for the eight time, Emma was beginning to piss her off now, so much to the point where Regina considered leaving but before she could even think about heading to the door, in walked her blonde friend and much to Regina's confusion, her boyfriend, Killian, and some bearded guy she had never met before. The blonde immediately noticed Regina sitting at the bar and the group of three made their way over to her, Emma flopping herself onto the empty barstool beside her friend.

"Hey!" She exclaimed with a bright grin.

Regina gave her a pointed look, "So nice of you to finally join me, I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

Emma rolled her eyes at the tone before leaning forward to whisper something to her. "I know you're wondering why I brought Killian but the guy with us is actually an old friend of ours and we thought-"

"That you'd set us up on a blind date, how clever of you, Miss Swan." Regina interrupted with annoyance lacing her tone.

Killian and the stranger shared a look as Killian smiled reassuringly, he knew they should've warned Regina beforehand but Emma insisted.

"Come on, Regina, I promise he's a great guy just... Please, do this for me and I swear I will never bother you with anything ridiculous again. Please," Emma pleaded.

Eventually, Regina rolled her eyes and gave in. "Fine! But just so we're clear, this is a onetime thing." Emma nodded eagerly as the two rose from their seats.

"Regina Mills, pleasure," she gave him a fake smile as she held her hand out to the stranger.

The bearded man returned an equally as uncomfortable smile as he shook her hand, "Graham Humbert, I see that you're as enthusiastic about this idea as am I."

Regina gave him a genuine smile at that, perhaps this 'blind date' wouldn't be as bad as she had thought moments ago, maybe they could end the night as friends who knows? Regina, for one, believed that thirty-nine was far too old to be playing these types of games, she had never been a one-night-stand type of person and that wasn't about to change but Graham seemed like an alright guy so why shouldn't she give him a chance? It wasn't as if her mind kept drifting back to her son's roommate and the way his eyes sparkled every time he looked at her or how his adorable dimples would show whenever he smiled. The brunette had to constantly tell herself that they were just two people who had taken a liking to each other, nothing else, besides, it would be wrong of her to pursue someone who had their whole life ahead of them.

Emma and Killian smiled as their two friends seemed to be enjoying each other's company for the last few moments so they made them aware that they would leave them to it, the blonde winking at her best friend as her leather clad boyfriend dragged her away by the hand.

"I can only apologise for such an abrupt meeting, Miss Mills, if it were up to me we certainly wouldn't be having this so called date in a place like this." The Irishman apologised as they took their seats at the bar.

Regina just shook her head in acceptance, "Believe me, dear, it's not the first time Emma has tried to pull something like this however, you seem to be the only decent one they have brought in. All the rest of them spent the entire night staring at my chest."

Graham chuckled. "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been single?"

Regina raised her glass to her lips and took a sip. "Thirteen years," she almost snorted at the look on Graham's face, "I was married but then things didn't quite go according to plan and then my attention was focussed on my son, I had no time for a relationship and men didn't have time for a single mother."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that your marriage didn't work out but perhaps there's a second chance for everyone. Does your son live here?" He asked out of genuine interest.

"He left for college at the start of the week, it appears as though I'm finally free," she tried not to cringe at her attempt to joke.

However, she was a tad grateful that Graham smiled at it. "What about you, Mr Humbert? What's your story?"

"Please, call me Graham," he continued, "Much like you, my first marriage didn't work out, turns out we wanted different things in life but in her eyes that divorce was the best thing that ever happened to us."

Regina placed a gentle and comforting hand on his shoulder as she gave him a small smile, "Then she obviously didn't deserve you."

Graham smiled in return.

And that's how they spent the remainder of their night, much like Henry and Robin, Regina and Graham found themselves getting along like a house on fire. The older woman may not have been looking to find someone she could relate to or even someone she could potentially have more with but in walked Graham, looking as shy as ever alongside Killian Jones and, in Regina's case, the Irishman would be helping her take a certain teenager off of her mind and his name was Robin Locksley.

 ** _What did you guys think? Before any of you possibly begin to panic, don't worry about Graham, this is an OutlawQueen story and I intend to keep it that way. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know there isn't any OutlawQueen interactions but that will soon change so please hold tight! Please leave a review with your thoughts, until next time_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hey guys, thanks to all of those are still currently reading this fic, it means a lot knowing that you guys are enjoying the story. As for Graham, please do not let him deter you from reading this fic, I've had a few people message me about how I'm going down the wrong path by introducing a potential love interest who isn't Robin for Regina, this doesn't apply to everyone but please note that I do in fact have a plan for this story and if I changed it now because people don't like how I've written one chapter, I may need to change the whole story so please hang tight before making a criticism about the decisions I have made for this. Anyway, here's chapter 3, hope you all enjoy! Oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

Regina awoke the next morning with a slight headache as she remembered just how much she hated drinking, she had never meant to stay out as late as she did but she found herself enjoying Graham's company more than she thought she would have. The brunette threw her head back down onto her pillow as she realised that it was seven am, she could sleep in late just this once, besides, it wasn't as if she worked at the weekends anyway. As the older woman tried to get back to sleep, her thoughts took her back to the night before.

 _"_ _I had a wonderful time tonight, Regina," Graham told her sincerely as he walked her to her doorstep._

 _The brunette turned to look at him with a small smile, "Well I'm glad to hear that the feeling is mutual." They chuckled before she frowned, "Graham, I'm sorry if you were searching for more after this, I can't imagine your disappointment when I told you I wasn't looking for any sort of relationship at the moment."_

 _Graham hushed her before she went any further, "Hey, I'd rather have a mutual friendship with you than a relationship that neither of us even wanted."_

 _The brunette smiled gratefully at how understanding he had been all night._

 _"_ _Thank you, Graham," she said quietly, "I look forward to our next outing, perhaps in somewhere better than The Rabbit Hole." They both laughed._

 _"_ _Good night, Regina." Graham said as she went inside her home. The Irishman waited until he heard the lock click to leave, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked down the street towards Granny's Inn._

"Woah, woah, woah, you're telling me that you, Killian Jones, got my mom to go on a blind date and it was successful?" Henry asked with disbelief as he talked to his mom's best friend's partner through Skype.

Robin couldn't help but listen in to the conversation after hearing the words 'mom', 'date' and 'successful'. He felt a rush of what could only have been described as jealousy flow through him as thoughts of another man touching Regina flooded his mind, he knew he had absolutely no right to get jealous over something like considering she probably didn't remember his name but he felt a connection between them that day and he knew his growing lust for her wasn't going to go away any time soon.

"Aye, lad, Emma and I watched them chat and giggle like teenagers before they left the bar together," Killian raised his eyebrow suggestively.

Henry's face contorted into that of a grimace as his mind was filled with images on his mom being out on a date, he couldn't image his mother ever taking a guy home with her after one date, he had always assumed that she had much more class than that. "Gross!"

Robin, on the other hand, couldn't believe what he was hearing, here those two were sat discussing Regina's personal life as if it was the morning news! The Englishman couldn't understand why he felt the urge to defend the brunette so much but he decided better of it and kept his mouth shut, continuing to listen to the conversation as he feigned writing in his notebook. Fortunately, the subject of the conversation had been changed and he was slightly relieved to hear the two men talking about how Henry was getting on at college, however, his ear perked when he heard Henry saying that he was going to stay with his girlfriend at a hotel for the night.

"Ah, just you and lass tonight then? Alone." Killian wiggled his eyebrows as Henry blushed.

It was at that point, Robin tuned out of the conversation, he wasn't particularly interested in hearing about Henry and his girlfriend and what they were planning on doing in that hotel room. The Englishman quickly found himself disliking the other man talking to Henry, he was far too vulgar for Robin's liking and he seemed give off the idea that every woman wanted him. Robin knew it was wrong of him to judge someone without even getting to know them but this guy thought that it was perfectly okay for him to air other people's business when they obviously didn't ask him to. The only thing Robin could think about to get the vulgar man out of his mind was the fact that Henry wasn't going to be in the dorm tonight, which meant Robin could get some time for himself to relax, it wasn't that he didn't enjoy Henry's company, he just wanted to have a couple of hours alone and rest, it had been an exhausting for everyone, particularly Robin.

Hours later, the Englishman was relieved when Henry grabbed his overnight bag and said goodbye as he walked out the door to go meet his girlfriend. The eighteen-year-old immediately pulled his t-shirt from his body and replaced it with a tank top before connecting his phone to the speaker in the room and putting on a Fleetwood Mac album. Robin let out a breath as flopped onto his stomach on his bed as he rest his head against the pillow, closing his eyes for the briefest moment before his moment of bliss was interrupted by what could only have been a ringtone. He let out a frustrated grunt as he turned on his back to see that Henry was receiving a Skype call, however, Robin's eyes widened subconsciously when he saw who was calling. It was none other than Regina. The teenager was faced with a dilemma, he could either leave it, which was probably what any other person would do seeing as she wasn't their mother, or he could answer and potentially hold a conversation with her for the first time since they met, only this time it would just be the two of them. Robin decided to go with the latter and moved to sit in front of the computer, quickly brushing his hair lightly with his fingers to ensure he was presentable and answered the call. He tried not to chuckle when Regina's look of anticipation changed to that of confusion.

"Henry's spending the night with a friend," Robin almost felt bad for stretching the truth but he wasn't sure how she would take to her son spending the night alone with his girlfriend.

Regina nodded, she was sceptical but something told her to believe the teenager in front of her. "Oh, well in that case, I'll just leave you to whatever it was that you were doing." She could hear the faint sound of Fleetwood Mac's The Chain playing in the background.

"Perhaps I could pass on a message to him?" Robin knew he was playing with fire but he just couldn't help himself, "Maybe in regards to a potential father figure in his life?"

Regina's furrowed her brow; she had no idea what he was referring to. "Excuse me?"

Robin knew he had well and truly stuck his foot in it now; he should've just left the call to ring out. Why was he even bringing this up to the woman who now probably thought he was a creep. "It's just, please forgive me for this, but I overheard a conversation earlier between Henry and another, well he wasn't exactly a gentleman, so more of a sleazebag and the hot topic appeared to be about you going on a date. I shouldn't have brought it up, it's not my place to discuss this with you, I'll let Henry know that you called."

The brunette watched Robin fumble over his apology and she couldn't help but notice just how adorable he was, when he implied that he was about to hang up she panicked a little, for some reason she felt the need to explain herself to him.

"Wait, Mr Locksley," the sound of her voice saying his name sent jolts of what could only be described as electricity down his spine, "As much as I do not appreciate others discussing my personal life, I can assure you that last night was not a date, that is how it all came about but he was a gentleman and we both decided that we weren't looking for anything other than a friendship."

Robin had force himself to prevent the smile he was biting back so desperately from seeping out, he felt an immense amount of relief when Regina shot down all of his concerns regarding the night before. However, he quickly realised that it was probably selfish of him to think that considering he barely even stood a chance with her. As Regina had explained what happened, Robin couldn't help but notice that song had changed to Songbird. 'How ironic,' he thought to himself as he fought the urge to roll his eyes at how the meaning of song almost related to his feelings at the moment.

Before Robin said anything else, Regina went to say something but quickly thought better of it and closed her mouth, looking down slightly to which Robin looked on in concern.

"Are you alright?" His voice was gentle.

Regina let out a quiet laugh, "It's nothing," she put on a tight-lipped smile as she met his eyes through the camera.

"You know, I've been told that I'm quite a good listener but if you don't want to talk then that's absolutely fine, I'll my best not to take it to heart." Robin joked, smiling when he caught her giggle before catching herself.

The brunette let out a small breath, "Do you mind just talking to me for a little longer? I know I sound pathetic asking that but I haven't spoken to my son since he left and-"

Before she could go anything further, Robin assured her, "I would be honoured to spend this evening with you, even if it's through Skype."

The Englishman felt his heart flutter when a genuine smile took over her features, she looked positively beautiful and Robin almost hated himself for the way he was feeling for her, he tried to convince himself that it was just a mere crush but little did he know that Regina was feeling the exact same way as he was, only she felt guilty for finding herself attracted to the younger man.

And that's how the two spent the rest of their night as they quickly moved onto first name basis with each other, Robin would listen intently when she would tell him stories about when Henry was younger and the man only fell for her more as images of Regina playing with her baby filled his mind, he knew she was a fantastic mother but he could only wish that he was around to see her in her element. Regina found herself doing the exact same when Robin told her about his time back in England to the point where his family had moved to the States, she could tell how much he cared about his family and it only warmed her heart when he spoke of his younger brother. Similar to Robin, she found herself thinking about the Englishman playing with the young boy up until he had to leave for college and it melted her heart, she already knew that Robin would be a wonderful father when the time came but she couldn't help but wish that she would get to experience it with him.

The pair only noticed how late it was when Regina couldn't help herself but yawn, Robin's blue eyes filled with care as he watched her apologise for her lack of manners.

"You don't have to apologise, it should be me as I've been keeping you here this whole time." Before she could protest, Robin continued, "You should get some rest."

"Only if you do the same." Regina teased as she shyly placed a strand dark hair behind her ear, "Perhaps we could do this again sometime." She suggested quietly.

Robin smiled at that, "I'd like that." There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two, Robin was glad that there was a screen between them because he knew for a fact that he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from pressing his lips to hers. "Now, if I go sleep, do you promise you'll do the same?"

She giggled at his playfully scolding tone as she nodded, "Of course, goodnight, Robin."

The Englishman smiled. "Sweet dreams, Regina." He whispered as they mutually turned off their computers and, as promised, got into their beds.

Unbeknownst to either of them, they both sighed in content as they drifted off, memories of their conversation flowing through their minds. Seconds before they both dozed off in a peaceful sleep, they couldn't help but mentally thank Henry for not being there that night.

 ** _So what did you all think? Please leave a review with your thoughts, I love hearing what you guys think about each chapter! Until next time!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Hey guys, thank you all for your support, I'm really enjoying writing this fic, especially knowing that Robin's coming back in the show! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

Almost two weeks had passed since Regina and Robin's impromptu Skype call and, despite promising that it would happen again soon, they were still waiting for that day. However, they both quickly realised that the possibility was highly unlikely considering they didn't exchanged their numbers on it, they had used Henry's account and Regina thought that if she called Robin through her son's Skype she would come off as desperate and pathetic but little did she know that Robin was considering calling her when Henry was out at class. The only thing stopping him from doing so was the fact that he wasn't sure if she'd be working or not, besides, he couldn't just go calling people he barely even knew through an account that wasn't his. On the other hand, the eighteen-year-old had thought about transferring Regina's Skype details from Henry's account to his but he didn't want to creep her out or come off as some weird stalker.

It was a Thursday afternoon and Robin was currently making his way towards his first class of the day, he was rather content about his timetable, he loved that he didn't have to get up at a ridiculous hour in the morning much like Henry but it also had its downsides, see, before he left for college Robin had set out a schedule in which he would spend the majority of his afternoon in the gym but now that his time was taken up by classes, he could only go to the gym either early in the morning or later in the evening, none of which appealed to him as he felt busy enough due to the amount of assignments he had been given. As the teenager walked through the busy corridors, his eye was caught by a flyer on the notice board to which he made his way over to so he could get a better look at what it said, not worrying if he was late to class or not.

' **ANNUAL SING OFF**

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 **Prof. Leroy Short**

 **December 14 2016**

 **SIGN UP BELOW'**

Robin read the flyer with slight interest, he had always loved singing but his every school he had went to pulled most of the dramatic arts from their curriculum and was more than disappointed to find that he couldn't even study it alongside his law degree, not that he even wanted to pursue a career in law anyway, but unlike Robin, the fact that there was no arts here made his parents ecstatic. They were never fond of their eldest son's hobby; they always saw it as a waste of time. Without a second thought, Robin grabbed the pen that was stuck on to the wall above the flyer and immediately signed himself up, telling himself that it was just a bit of fun. The Englishman smiled inwardly as he added his name to the bottom of the list, feeling satisfied with himself as he finally headed off to class.

Meanwhile, Regina was stood teaching her final class of the day, anticipating the moment when the bell sounded for the kids to go home. Don't get her wrong, Regina loved teaching but all that seemed to be on her mind for the past two weeks was the charming Englishman who was rooming with her son. As soon as the shrilling sound of the bell was heard, Regina tried not to show her relief as she reminded her class of the test they had coming up despite knowing that half of them were already out the door. The woman let out a small breath as she immediately took her phone out of her bag and checked her Facebook, a smile forming on her face when she saw that Henry had changed his profile picture to that of him and Robin taking a selfie, she liked the photo but also found herself drawn to the sandy haired teen on the left as she smiled in awe at his dimples and was once again taken by his eyes. She had also noticed that, since their Skype call, Robin had grown some stubble and she couldn't help but notice just how attractive he was with it, for some reason it made him look slightly older, not much, but enough for her guilt for thinking about to disappear momentarily. Although she knew it was probably wrong of her, she clicked onto Henry's page and searched through his most recent friends, quickly finding Robin at the top. Her smile only widened when she saw that his profile picture was of him smiling widely as he held who could only have been his brother, the resemblance was uncanny. The brunette then held her finger just above the friend request button as if she was hesitating to put her finger down, she sat for what must have been a full five minutes as she thought through her next actions. Letting out a sigh, she removed her finger from the screen and closed the app as she put her phone back in her handbag. She placed her head in her hands and let out a sigh of frustration.

"What is wrong with me?" She asked herself.

In the meantime, Robin was trying his best to pay attention to the lecture he was getting, he had only been there for ten minutes and already he was struggling to keep his eyes open. However, he was slightly woken up by a brief vibration in his jean pocket, his blue eyes looked from his pocket to his lecturer as to ensure that they weren't watching him and carefully removed his phone from his pocket, unlocking it as he read the notification.

' _Regina Mills (friends with Henry Mills) liked a photo you were tagged in._ '

He couldn't help but feel small butterflies in his stomach as he read the notification over and over again just to be sure he had read it correctly, as he tried to contain his smile, he quickly opened up Facebook and looked to see what picture she had actually liked. As soon as he had done that, he considered his next actions before going against what his mind was telling him and clicked onto Regina's page. He quickly looked back up at his lecturer to ensure that they still weren't paying attention to him before smiling softly at Regina's picture. She looked absolutely beautiful, he could only admire her. In the picture, she was standing on a beachfront with a beaming smile as she wore a fitting red dress, it was obvious that she was at a wedding or an equally as formal celebration but regardless, Robin thought she was stunning. It took everything Robin had not to scroll through the rest of her pictures but rather than leaving her page completely, he contemplated sending her a friend request as he subconsciously held his breath before gathering up the courage to press send. After he finally decided to bite the bullet, he pressed send and quickly locked his phone again, putting it in his pocket as he got back to pretending to listen or even care about what the lecturer was talking about.

As Regina was preparing to leave her classroom, she heard her phone go off, alerting her that she had a notification. The brunette switched off her lights and closed her door as she got her phone back out of her handbag and made her way through the corridor, her heels clicking with each step. As soon as she saw the reason why her phone had alerted her, her brown eyes widened and she began to slow her pace as she continued to make her way to the exit.

 _'_ _Robin Locksley has sent you a friend request._ '

The brunette opened up her Facebook again to see if what Robin had sent to her was actually there, a blush instantly forming on her face when she saw that it was the exact same person whose page she had just been on. He had obviously been notified that she liked the picture and had the same idea as her, only he had the courage to carry it out. Instead of responding to the friend request, Regina clicked on his page once again only to find herself on the messenger app as she quickly typed out a message to him, biting her lip as she pressed send.

Once again, Robin felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he grabbed it faster than was humanely possibly and read the notification. His heart pounding in his chest as he read it.

' _Regina Mills has sent you a message._ '

Robin found himself holding his breath as he opened up messenger to see what it said, a small smile forming on his face as he read the words over and over again.

 ** _So, what did you all think? Thank you all for reading this chapter! Please leave a review with your thoughts! Until next time_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hope you enjoy this one! Oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

' _I do believe I was promised another Skype call, Mr Locksley._ '

Robin continued to smile as he kept reading the message as he tried to formulate a response, however, before he had the chance he was interrupted by a voice coming from the front of the room.

"Mr Locksley, is there something amusing that you'd wish to share with your peers?" Professor Gold asked him with an unamused tone.

Robin quickly locked his phone without replying and put it back in his pocket as he sat up in his chair, "No, sir."

Gold narrowed his eyes, "Then I believe it would be beneficial for you to pay attention." He said as he got back to teaching the class, not caring if Robin had anything else to say.

The teenager just nodded and rolled his eyes, ignoring the sound of sniggers filling the room. As much as he hated the idea of it, he knew Regina would have to wait for his response because Robin knew that if Gold caught him in a daze again he would probably suspend him from the course, he seemed exactly like that type of teacher. The boy let out a quiet sigh, trying his best to focus his attention on the lesson with thoughts of Regina refusing to leave his mind.

Back in Storybrooke, Regina had just gotten into her car but before she pulled out of the school car park, she checked her phone again, a frown appearing on her face when she saw that Robin had only read the message. She began feeling flashes of humiliation and embarrassment as she regretted even sending the message in the first place, what was she thinking? Of course he would find a middle-aged woman privately mailing him ridiculous, he had probably only sent her a friend request to be nice and she had gone and stepped over the line with that message. The brunette threw her phone back in her bag as she started up the car and drove back home with her trying to rid thoughts of Robin from her mind.

About halfway through her drive home, she had a sudden change of heart and, rather than carrying on straight down the road, she took a left, deciding to pay her big brother a visit. Despite the fact that they both lived in Storybrooke, Regina and her brother rarely ever saw each other, it wasn't that they didn't get along, in fact, they were inseparable whilst they were growing up but the older they got the less time they had for each other considering he had decided to be a fire fighter and that obviously took up the majority of his time. It was a ten minute drive from where she was now but she knew she could probably get there in even less time if she took the next left, however, Regina decided that she probably needed those ten minutes to think about her previous actions. In what felt more like a few seconds rather than ten minutes, Regina found herself pulling into her brother's driveway. As she turned off her engine, she gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands and rest her forehead against it.

"You're an idiot, Regina Mills," she continued to tell herself before getting out the car and walking towards the front door, placing her bag over her shoulder as she patiently waited for her brother to answer the door after ringing the doorbell.

Seconds later, the door opened and brown eyes widened. "Regina? Is everything okay?"

"I'm a pathetic middle-aged woman who severely needs to sort her life out, does that sound okay to you?"

He opened the door wider, "Come on in," he gave a soft smile as he ushered her inside.

Moments later, Regina found herself pacing her brother's living room with her arms crossed as he sat trying to comprehend all of the information she had just given him.

"Okay, so, let me get this straight, you and this guy barely even know each other but you can't stop thinking about him and you thought that the feeling was mutual but he didn't reply to your message?" Okay, she may have left out the part about this guy being an eighteen-year-old who was currently living with her son but when her brother put it like that, it did sound pretty ridiculous. "Maybe he just didn't have time to reply?"

Regina narrowed her eyes and stopped pacing. She hadn't thought about it like that, perhaps Robin was truly busy but she didn't understand why he couldn't have had the time to respond if he was already on. Before she could say anything, her brother jumped in.

"Is this the same guy you went out on a date with the other week?"

The woman scoffed in annoyance, how come everyone seemed to know about that? She swore the next time she laid eyes on Killian Jones he would be a dead man. "No Neal and that was not a date! Anyway, you're missing the point! I'm thirty-nine-years-old; I should not care about some guy who didn't reply to my message."

Neal stood up and gently held onto her forearms, "Hey, you're not pathetic, it's not stupid that you care about this, it's obvious that there's something about this guy, whoever he is, and the way I see it, he's an idiot if he doesn't what an incredible woman my baby sister is!"

Regina smiled softly, this was exactly why she was grateful for Neal, he always knew what to say to her and she was glad she still had him in her life but that didn't mean that he was able to fix this situation, she still felt terrible for even thinking about Robin in a different light, in fact, she wasn't even aware that her feelings for him may be more than platonic until now. God, what was wrong with her? She didn't even expect to have this sort of conversation with her brother at their age, she thought that they were far too old to be discussing her personal life as if she was a teenage girl but there was something about Robin that was just getting to her and she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"You know, I could always have the 'big brother talk' with this guy, sort his ass out?" Of course Neal had to ruin the moment but, rather than get annoyed, Regina just snorted and shook her head. "Anyway, do you want to stay for dinner? I'm thinking about pasta?" He asked as he made his way to the kitchen.

"How often do you get food poisoning?" She called after him, taking a seat on the couch, a small chuckle leaving her mouth when she heard Neal give her a sarcastic laugh as a response.

Forty minutes later, Robin was leaving his lecture hall with his phone in his hand, the only thing that was on his mind was responding to Regina. As soon as he went onto the messenger app, he remembered that she was have saw that he had read message and he couldn't help but feel terrible, what if he had given off a totally different impression of him? The Englishman weaved his way through the crowded corridors as he headed back to his dorm room, his phone in his hand as he typed out a reply.

' _Apologies for the late reply, I would much rather have been talking to you than listening to that lecture. As for that call, how about tomorrow night? I'll copy your details from Henry's account if you're comfortable with that? Have a wonderful evening, Regina_ '

The eighteen-year-old quickly pressed send as he put his phone away and walked into his room, nodding at Henry before he took out a notebook and pretended to work away on that, feeling slightly guilty that he was actually thinking about his roommate's mother as he carefully sketched some drawings on the page in front of him.

As soon as Robin had sent the message, Regina's phone went off again. The brunette, without even thinking about who it could have been, she was shocked to see that Robin had replied. Although she initially hesitated to open the message, she got over her fear, so to speak, and read it. She couldn't help the bright smile that formed on her face, not only had he apologised to her, he had implied that he wanted to talk to her at that moment in time. She could feel her heart flutter when he had suggested that they speak tomorrow and that he would collect her Skype information from Henry's account but Regina had a better idea. She didn't even think twice before typing out her phone number alongside a message and pressed send. A small blush on her face when she realised what she had just done without a thought of regret in her mind. As she was putting her phone away, Neal caught her with both a smile and a blush on her face.

"You okay?" He asked, leaning by the door.

Regina looked up at him and smiled, "Perfect."

Neal gave her a knowing look but decided that for once, he wasn't going to tease her, "Well, in that case, get your lazy ass into my kitchen for the best plate of pasta you've ever had." He joked.

The woman playfully rolled her eyes as she followed him into the kitchen, feeling content with her decision to give Robin her number. She could only hope that his reply was much quicker than his last.

 ** _Did you like it? Please leave a review with your thoughts! Until next time!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Okay, so to clear up confusion about Regina's age, she is thirty-nine-years-old (Two decades older than Henry and Robin), Henry and Robin are both eighteen. She is Henry's biological mother which means she had him when she was twenty-one. I don't know where people have been getting the idea that she's only in her late-twenties/early-thirties but there have been a couple of people who have asked about how she could be Henry's mother or if she is his biological mother because her age apparently doesn't add up. I hope this clears up any confusion about it but if there are any further queries please do not hesitate to ask! Oh and I do not own anything related to OUAT_**

Robin let out a quiet chuckle after reading Regina's message for the fifth time; he couldn't believe that she, Regina Mills, had just sent him her very own phone number. All Robin could think about was the possibility of the feeling of attraction being mutual between them, he could only hope that she understood that he had never shared a connection like the one he has with her with anyone else but who was he kidding? Regina was probably just doing this out of politeness. Henry looked over at his roommate with a confused look on his face, as if he was pressing for Robin to tell him what he found amusing but Robin quickly thought of a lie.

"It's a picture of my brother," he lied, feeling relieved when Henry seemed satisfied with that before getting back to his assignment.

Robin looked back down at the message, once again smiling at the fact that she had genuinely sent him her phone number along with the implication that he should call her whenever he wanted to talk to her. She sure was something special and Robin ensured that her number would be put to good use so he saved it to his phone and sent her a text just so that she would also have his number. That night, both he and Regina slept with smiles on their faces as they were completely aware that they had each other's numbers.

The following night, as soon as Henry left for the library, Robin copied Regina's Skype name from his roommate's account to his own and called her, trying not to appear too eager when she answered. When the camera became focussed, Robin was speechless; Regina had decided to forgo her usual makeup and was currently sat bare-faced with her hair tied into a messy bun and glasses on her face whilst she dressed down in a loose tank top and sweatpants. She wouldn't usually allow people to see her dressed so... Freely but there was something different about Robin Locksley.

The eighteen-year-old couldn't prevent his first words from escaping his mouth but he didn't regret them one bit after seeing how adorable she looked when she blushed. "You look beautiful."

Regina refused to meet his eyes as she sat with a shy smile, "Well aren't you a charmer?" She teased.

Robin playfully shrugged, "I've been told once or twice."

Regina frowned as a surge of jealousy flooded her mind, she knew she had no right to get jealous but she didn't like the idea of another woman getting close to him, not that she could do anything about it, he was a good looking guy so of course he's probably had his share of women in the past but that didn't mean she was keen on the idea. Robin noticed her discomfort as he leaned closer into the screen, quickly realising what was wrong but he figured that he shouldn't make her feel any more uncomfortable so he changed the subject to the first thing that popped in his mind.

"When will I see you again?" Her head snapped up at that. Smooth, Robin, smooth, perhaps the first thing that came to his mind wasn't the best. "I mean, will you be visiting again soon?"

Regina blushed at his wording, she knew he probably didn't mean it like that but it still made her blush. "Do you want me to visit soon?" She figured since he teased her last time, she would get her own back tonight.

Robin stuttered, "I, uh, I mean, only if you- just, I-"

Regina giggled at his flustered state.

"Relax, Robin, I'm just teasing. Besides, it's something that's been on my mind for a couple of days now, perhaps you could speak with my son and have him arrange a suitable date."

Robin sighed, he couldn't help but feel disheartened when she mentioned Henry but he was obviously the only reason she would be up here in the first place but he nodded nonetheless, letting her know that he'd ask Henry about it. Before he could continue their conversation, Regina let her tongue slip.

"You suit the stubble," she smiled softly.

Robin subconsciously reached up and scratched the side of his chin where light hair was still growing, it wasn't too long but compared to how he looked when he first met Regina, it was as if she was talking to his older doppelganger. "It itches," he joked.

"You'll get used to it." She smiled as they shared a moment of comfortable silence as she shook her head slowly. "What is it about you, Robin Locksley?"

Robin furrowed his brow before he clicked on to what she was meaning. "I could ask the same thing about you, Regina Mills." It was almost a whisper but she still heard it.

Regina inhaled a deep breath. This was starting to get too much for her, they weren't flirting or doing anything that people would frown upon but she knew they were edging closer to a dangerous territory and she wasn't sure if she would be able to go through with it. Granted she did send him her number and had initiated their first conversation but it was getting too real for her and she needed time to think about everything.

"I have to go." She said abruptly.

Robin, however, knew better and dropped his eyes to the floor in disappointment before nodding. "I understand, you have my number for the time being, please feel free to call whenever you feel like it." Regina nodded. "Goodnight, Regina."

Regina gave him a small smile as she whispered a goodnight and shut off her camera, barely managing to hold herself together but as soon as she knew her camera was off, she allowed her tears to fall as she dropped her head into her hands, hating herself for how she was feeling for the teenager.

On the other side of the call, Robin sat rubbing his eyes with both of his hands as he let out a sigh of frustration. How could he have been so stupid? He never meant to put her in such an uncomfortable position and as soon as he heard her say she had to go he just wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until everything was okay. Knowing that there was nothing he could possibly do at this moment in time, Robin switched off his computer and flopped onto his back on his bed, spending the rest of night with his mind on Regina as he was deprived of sleep. That was the last time the two had spoken to each other, with every single day going passed with the urge to call the other's number before deciding against at and throwing their phones on the bed.

Months had passed since their last conversation but not a single day went by where they weren't on each other's minds. It was coming up for the Christmas break as well as the singing competition Robin had signed himself up for so the Englishman spent the majority of his free time preparing for that in rehearsals or he would spend time at the gym, doing his best to get Regina off his mind. The two of them soon found themselves missing the chats they would have with each other, with Robin remembering how beautiful she looked every time he saw her and Regina thinking about those blue eyes that she always managed to get lost in. However, on what could have been seen as an unfortunate day, Robin, unaware that Henry was actually on Skype to the woman he had surprisingly missed so much, walked into the door and was immediately met with the brown eyes he had looked into at each meeting. Henry turned his head and smiled as Robin stood in shock for a few seconds before regaining his composure and nodded back. The Englishman then grabbed his bag as he contemplated saying something to Regina, quickly deciding against it and left the room, heading off to rehearse.

Regina tried not to jump when she heard Robin slam the door, it took everything in her not say something to him but she couldn't actually do anything whilst Henry was there, the boy had no idea that his mother and roommate even remember each other never mind shared personal details. As soon as Robin left the room, Henry's face lit up as an idea popped in his mind.

"What are you doing next Saturday?" He asked with wide eyes.

Regina gave him a sceptical look, "Nothing, why?"

"Well, there's this singing thing next week and, you know, since we haven't actually spoken to each other in person since I came here, why don't you come up for it and we can go?"

"Henry, I'm not singi-"

"No, it's like, students have signed up for it and Robin was one of them and I just want to go support him, his family won't make it and, well, he's been such a great friend ever since I started and I want to be there for him. I'm sure he won't mind the extra support!" Henry was trying his best to reel her in, he really wanted to go and support Robin and had even asked Violet to attend with him but she was busy with her own college.

Regina's ears perked slightly when Henry mentioned that Robin was going to be singing, she had no idea he could sing, not that she had asked but he always came off as being shy and looking to get away from attention. Although she knew it was probably a bad idea considering she and Robin hadn't spoken in months and it would probably be awkward, she couldn't resist her son's puppy eyes. At least that's what she told herself, it obviously had nothing to do with the fact that she would get to hear what sort of voice Robin Locksley had on him, she could imagine him with a husky, rocker voice and oh how that made her feel.

"Okay, fine." She playfully rolled her eyes as Henry fist bumped.

Despite giving off a cheerful and happy appearance, Regina could already feel her nerves kick in, she had only actually been with Robin in person once and it took everything she had not to ogle him or jump him and now that they are both aware of the chemistry they share, she doesn't know how this will go down.

 ** _How was that? Please leave a review with your thoughts, I love reading what you guys think! I apologise for the slight time jump but I knew that this would be an extremely short chapter without it, not to mention that if there wasn't a time jump I would quickly run out of things to write about before the story ended but I hope you liked it! Until next time_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Here's chapter 7! I'm really nervous about it if I'm completely honest but I hope you all enjoy it!_**

The following Saturday, Regina was preparing herself for the long drive up to the college, at first she was going to drive up in the morning but she didn't know if Robin knew about her arrival and she didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable so she opted to drive up in the late afternoon instead, promising that she and Henry would still have time to go for some food before attending whatever this singing thing actually was. She had been anticipating this day for the entire week, every time she thought about it her nerves would get the better of her and, more times than she cared to admit, she even contemplated calling Henry to tell him that she wouldn't make it. However, Regina put those feelings behind, telling herself that everyone was technically adults, besides, it wasn't as if she had any reason to feel guilty over Robin, they hadn't done anything. For the majority of the morning, Regina couldn't help but imagine how Robin sounded when he sang, she knew he would be incredible regardless of his style but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to hold her feelings at bay once the music began. The brunette, shaking the thoughts of the eighteen-year-old from her mind, moved through her house as she checked herself over in the mirror for what had to have been the tenth time in the past hour, she had decided on a fitted blue dress that hugged her in all of the right places with black stilettos whilst she done her makeup subtly but still to perfection nonetheless and her hair was wavy at the bottom, she told herself that she only wanted to make herself presentable to Henry's peers and teachers but deep down she knew she wanted to make yet another impression on Robin. She quickly adjusted her earrings as she grabbed her bag and left the house, letting out a breath as she got in her car.

Meanwhile, Henry, secretly feeling relieved that his mother decided she wouldn't arrive until much later, was still currently laid in his bed, not caring that it was two in the afternoon. Robin, on the other hand, was just returning from a trip to the store, gently throwing a candy bar he had bought at the boy in the bed, letting out a breathy chuckle when Henry just grunted in response. The Englishman purposely threw himself on his roommate's bed and pressed all of his weight against him.

"You know what time it is, mate?"

Another grunt, "Go away."

Robin chuckled again. "Come on, get up," the eighteen-year-old commanded as he got up off the bed, "You should get showered and dressed before the football team are done."

Henry's eyes sprung open at that, he had completely forgot that the showers used solely for the college football team were currently under maintenance at the moment and they had to use the ones in the dorms, keep in mind that there were only five cubicles and, well, you do the math. The American knew that if he didn't get his ass in gear now, he would spend the rest of his day looking like a slob and he knew that wouldn't go down well with his mother. The boy quickly got up out of his bed, muttering incoherent sentences as he threw on the first items of clothing he found. Robin laughed at his oblivious state.

"Rough night?"

"I wish," Henry said as he hopped into his jeans, "I've got a special guest tonight and if I don't look presentable, well, let's just say this may be the last time you see me alive." He joked, leaving a confused Robin in the dorm as he left without explaining who his guest was.

Robin decided not to over think who it could possibly be, he figured it was just the girlfriend coming up, he could vaguely remember Henry mentioning something about asking her to accompany him tonight but Robin wasn't going to lie, he hadn't listened to a word Henry had said due a brunette invading his thoughts once again. As the eighteen-year-old thought about his upcoming debut, so to speak, he swore he felt his heart drop as it all became apparent that he, Robin Locksley, had signed himself up to sign in front of hundreds of people. He was beginning to regret his decision to sign up for it in the first place, he hated drawing attention to himself but perhaps he needed something like this to boost his confidence, however, that didn't mean he was keen on the idea of so many people judging him on a stage. The teenager let out a deep breath before reminding himself that he would only be on stage for a maximum of five minutes, five minutes and it would all be over, he could retreat back to his dorm as soon as the song had ended. The boy then quickly changed out of his t-shirt and shorts and into a t-shirt and jeans, hoping that this final rehearsal would help him overcome his nerves as he grabbed his phone and left the dorm empty, making his way to the auditorium.

On his way there, he was joined by a petit blonde with her hair up in a bun and a smile on her face.

"I hope you're not planning on wearing that tonight," she teased with twinkling eyes.

Robin pretended to look offended for a moment, "Oh come on, Rose, what's wrong with this?"

Rose rolled her eyes, she knew he was only feigning the offence but she believed that an event as open as the one tonight deserved at least a tiny bit of formality on his part. "Okay, the jeans I can tolerate but maybe change your shirt, I don't think a Bon Jovi t-shirt matches your choice of song."

Robin looked down at his shirt before nodding in agreement; it probably wouldn't have made much sense for him to being wearing a shirt with one band on it whilst singing a song from another. The two continued their walk to the auditorium.

"So, will there be anyone special out there tonight?" She asked with a smile.

Rose was a lovely girl, Robin had met her at the very first sound check a few weeks back and they became fast friends, the possibility of a romantic relationship between the two immediately eliminated due to how close they became and not to mention the fact that Robin was sort of hung up on Regina whilst Rose had been dating some guy named August. Robin could see himself relying on Rose for a number of things and he could only hope that she felt the same about him, she was probably the most genuine person he had met at this college and he was glad that he had met someone who was similar to him in terms of personality. However, Rose could tell what a man looked like when there was a woman involved with their life and she could see it every time she saw Robin.

Thinking about her question, Robin could only imagine how much he would have appreciated Regina's support tonight but considering they hadn't spoken in months, it was no shock to him that she wouldn't turn up, besides, she probably didn't even know about this thing.

"Maybe next time," he smiled tightly as he held the door open for his friend.

Rose returned the smiled only it was more sympathetic, she couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. Whoever this woman was, he had it bad for her and Rose hoped that it would all work out but, rather than pressing on the subject, the blonde left it be and allowed them to get started on their final rehearsal before the competition.

Four and a half hours later, Regina finally found herself pulling into the campus car park after her drive being delayed by traffic. She quickly parked into a space and got out of the car, adjusting her handbag as she made her way inside the building, hoping that she remembered where Henry's dorm was. Fortunately for her, his room was only on the second floor and was the first door on the left so it was easy for her to find. The brunette held her breath as she quietly knocked on the door, worrying that Robin may have been the one to answer it but, much to both her relief and disappointed, Henry was the only one in the room. The teenager had since showered and was now wearing a dressy shirt with black trousers, prepared for their evening.

"Mom, come on in." He welcomed her with a smile, closing the door behind her.

Regina looked around the small room, her eyes lingering on Robin's half as she wondered where he was. She smiled softly when she noticed the Polaroid photos that decorated his wall, most of them were of him and his brother or just his brother with at least two of him and Henry. She was glad he and her son were still getting along.

Henry, who obviously hadn't noticed what she was staring at, spoke up. "So, I was thinking why don't we grab a quick bite to eat just now before heading over to the auditorium? There's this great cafe just around the corner, I was hoping we could go to the new Italian restaurant but traf-"

"Traffic was slow," Regina finished for him as she nodded, "A cafe sounds lovely." She smiled, trying not to think about the absent teenager who occupied half of this room.

Henry nodded with her. "You wanna go now? This thing starts at seven thirty and I was hoping we could get good seats so we can see Robin."

Regina inhaled sharply at the mention of his name; she had been hoping to see the other man before just turning up to the show where he probably had no idea she would be. The woman quickly masked her emotions, "Of course, dear."

Henry once again smiled, not noticing that his mother was being slightly distant as he opened the door again and waited for her to walk ahead. As soon as he had closed the door, the two made their way out of the building with Henry leading them to the cafe he had been talking about.

Within literally seconds of their departure, Robin had entered their dorm, completely unaware that Regina was now minutes away from him. The eighteen-year-old stripped off his black t-shirt and grabbed a white dress shirt before changing into black jeans, he knew it wasn't the most formal but he didn't really care, he was about to face a fear of his by performing in front of hundreds of strangers so how he was dressed didn't affect him in the slightest. The Englishman quickly checked the time on his watch, shaking slightly as he saw that he only had an hour to go before he ran his hand through his sandy-coloured hair as a way of brushing it, not that he needed to, it was just his nerves coming through. He had hoped he could prolong this day as much as possible as he was now severely regretting even looking at that signup sheet, not even Rose could calm his nerves at this point. The Englishman took a deep breath as he once again ran his right hand through his hair, pacing around the room as he tried to calm himself before making his way back to auditorium where he would sit backstage until he was due to perform.

Forty-five minutes later, Robin was pacing around backstage as Rose attempted to calm him down. He could feel his palms becoming clammy and his heart begin pound when he heard Leroy, their presenter for night, speak loudly into his microphone, telling the audience what to expect for the night. Although Robin knew he was one of the last people to perform, he still couldn't stop himself from shaking.

"Hey, hey, look at me; you're going to be fine." Rose told him firmly as she cupped his face in her hands.

"J-just pull me out of th-th-the show, p-please." He stuttered nervously.

Rose felt her heart go out to her friend, "Robin, hey, it's okay. You have an incredible voice; you can do this and hey, as soon as you're on there and you feel like you can't do this, just look at me. I'll be standing right there, don't worry, you're going to be fine." She assured him, nodding over to the wings where she promised she would stand.

Robin took a deep breath and nodded, continuing to mentally tell himself that he could do this.

On the other side of the stage, Regina and Henry had managed to grab seats on the third row so they were close enough for Robin to see them, much to Regina's dismay. She was hoping she could just come watch and then go home but of course, her son had other plans. When she heard the grubby and unnecessarily loud presenter mention Robin's name, she felt her heart pounding, slightly glad that he was one of the last performers. As the night went on, she found herself rather enjoying most of the singers, they were talented people, she'd give them that but she was only waiting for one person and he had yet to appear. However, she swore she felt her heart in her throat when the presenter yelled out his name, announcing him as the next act. The brunette was utterly terrified and she had no idea why.

When Robin heard his name, he took a final deep breath to calm himself before walking out on to the darkly light stage, standing beneath the spotlight as he gently took hold of the microphone stand. Before the music started, he turned his head to look at Rose, who smiled at him, and he decided to scan the audience. That's when his eyes met the very same ones he thought he'd never see again. He stood in shock for a few seconds, surely it couldn't have been her but when he saw his roommate sitting beside her, his heart pounded. Before he could react, he heard the music start and he knew he couldn't turn back now. He closed his eyes for a brief second before starting to sing the lyrics he knew so well.

 _I took my love and I took it down  
I climbed a mountain and I turned around_

Regina's eyes widened as soon as she heard Robin's voice, it was the complete opposite of what she expected. She had thought he would've picked a rock anthem and carried it like a true rock star but instead, his voice was gentle and soft. It only made her feelings for him stronger, it wasn't that she doubted his capability of being able to sing, in fact, she could imagine he would be able to carry out any song he was given but hearing him right now was making her heart flutter. She tried her best to look anywhere but him when she found herself staring into his blue eyes, she knew she was gone.

 _And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills  
And the landslide brought me down_

Robin couldn't tear his gaze away from hers; she looked even more beautiful than he remembered. A part of him was thankful that she was here tonight, it seemed as though all of his nerves and doubts about himself disappeared as soon as they had locked eyes. The song continued as he became more confident, the result of this being evident in how he sang. As the song was coming to a close, he became aware that he hadn't torn his eyes from hers once, he had to talk to her.

The song ended a lot quicker than he had expected and he smiled shyly as the audience broke out into an uproar of cheers and applauds, including an enthusiastic Henry. However, Regina finally broke their gaze by looking down at her feet, a small frown on her face. Robin took one last glance at her before making his way off stage to where Rose was standing, swearing to himself that he would catch Regina before she left. When he arrived in the wings, Rose embraced him in a bear hug that he returned immediately.

"You were incredible! Where did that confidence come from?" She asked cheerfully as they pulled back from the hug.

Robin just laughed nervously, he couldn't believe he had just done that but before he said anything, he found himself engulfed in Rose's arms once again.

Moments later, Robin stood from the wings, subtly peeking out at the audience whilst the final act performed. He could that Regina was still sitting there and he sighed in relief. However, the next thing he knew, Leroy was back out on stage announcing the end of the show as well as the winner, who, unfortunately, was neither Robin nor Rose but the Englishman didn't care about that, all he wanted was to see Regina. As soon as he saw the audience begin to file out the doors, he pecked Rose on the cheek, giving her a rushed goodbye as he jogged out the doors, weaving through the crowds when he spotted Regina and Henry walking a few feet ahead of him in the direction of his dorm room. Robin, thinking he had an idea, realized that they were probably going to the dorm so he took a quick shortcut with the hope that he'd beat them there as he quickly unlocked the door and waited, unsure on what his next move would be considering he couldn't exactly say anything with Henry in the room. Moments later, the door opened and Robin's breath was caught in his throat. However, much to his disappoint, Henry was the only one who walked into the room. The teenager smiled widely as he hugged his roommate.

"Dude, you were awesome!" He exclaimed, assuming that Robin had just returned to the dorm after he had performed.

Robin smiled gratefully, "Thanks mate."

Henry gestured behind him with his thumb, "My mom said you were great, I did ask if she wanted to come back and tell you herself but, uh, she had to get back home. Long drive, you know?"

The Englishman nodded before another idea popped in his mind, "Hey, do you mind if I go see Rose? I want to ask her it went," he lied convincingly with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, sure, go ahead, I'll see you later, dude."

Robin didn't even hear the final part of the sentence as he was already out of the door, rushing down the stairs and out the main entrance, frantically searching for Regina. He looked around the car park for her but was disappointed to see it almost empty save for a handful of cars, assuming she had already left, Robin turned around to go back inside, immediately freezing on the spot at the sight in front of him. Their eyes met once again as Regina took a few slow steps forward, stopping with a small distance between the two.

"I can't help but think you're avoiding me." He said quietly.

Regina let out a breathy chuckle as she crossed her arms, "You were amazing tonight."

Robin gave her a small smile as she quickly changed the subject, he knew he should have just left it at that but he wanted to hit the nail on the head.

"Why did you come tonight, Regina?" He asked, hoping for an answer.

"Henry had asked me to accompany him and I said yes, there's nothing wrong with a mother wanting to see her son." She answered in a low tone.

Robin watched her carefully. "And that's the only reason?" He pushed his luck.

Regina narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Now, have a good night, Mr Locksley." She told him, moving to walk around him.

Robin was quick to gently grab her arm as she walked past him, turning her to face him, a look that could kill on her face.

"I don't know who you think you are, Mr Locksley, but if you have any wits about you, you will unhand me right now!" She threatened.

"Regina, please, I just want to talk to-"

She cut him off, "There's nothing to talk about!" She almost yelled, "Robin, you have your whole life ahead of you, why are you even remotely concerned about some pathetic middle-aged woman who you barely even know? I'll admit I enjoyed talking to you but we're two different people, you need to stop thinking about the past and start thinking about your future and that does not involve me." She snapped.

As soon as she had finished, Robin let her go and nodded with a frown on his face as he looked down. He heard her sigh and tell him goodnight before hearing the echo of her heels clicking on the ground. Millions of thoughts were going through his mind, some telling to let her go, some telling him to call her back and continue the conversation but when he looked up and saw her nearing what he assumed to be her car, he decided to listen to the minority and marched over to her, picking up his pace into a small jog in order to catch her before she got in her car. Once again, he gently held her arm and turned her, ignoring her protesting look and before she could say anything, he cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips against hers, feeling her immediately melt into him.

The brunette was more than shocked when she felt someone turn her around but when she was faced with Robin she opened her mouth to protest to what could have escalated into an argument. However, her eyes widened when she felt his hands cup her face and she felt their lips join together in a moment of passion. Rather than pushing him away, she immediately melted into the kiss, her hands gripping tightly to his shirt at his waist as she bunched it up slightly. This was the exact moment she had dreamt of ever since meeting the Englishman and to both of them, it was more than perfect. All of their senses were erased as they ignored the world around them, getting lost in the kiss. Regina quickly felt something prodding at her bottom lip and she instantly granted access to him, allowing him to invade her mouth as they both fought for dominance of the kiss. However, the brunette gave up a lot faster than either of them expected; she loved how Robin was making her feel right now. Unfortunately, oxygen soon became a necessity to the pair and they reluctantly pulled away with the smallest gap between their lips as they remained in their embrace. Their eyes met slowly as they both became fully aware of what had had just occurred between them. Mixed emotions flooded each of their minds.

 ** _How was that? I really hope you enjoyed this one, please let me know what you thought! I'll try to update as soon as possible! Until next time_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Sorry for the wait guys but I hope you enjoy this one!_**

Moments that felt like hours had passed since they were joined as one as they panted lightly trying to catch their breath, their breath mingling with each others. They both knew that if they moved the smallest bit forward their lips would once again connect but each of them were unsure on their next moves, they didn't have any idea where they would go from there. Millions of contrasting thoughts entered Regina's mind, a part of her just wanted to let go and continue their passionate embrace because, let's face, it was the best damned kiss she had ever had in her lifetime, but another part of her was screaming to push him away, to yell at him considering she was fully aware that he was two decades younger than her. The brunette closed her eyes for a second only to open them, immediately meeting Robin's blue ones.

Robin, on the other hand, was completely terrified. He had never meant to do that, not that he regretted it, but he was worried about her reaction, worried if she would push him away. He had no idea what the kiss meant for either of them but he did know that he wouldn't oppose to it happening again. He kept his hands on each side of her face as he gently caressed her cheeks whilst her hands lightly twisted his shirt at the bottom. After waiting an eternity, one of them finally spoke up.

"I guess you really did want to talk," Regina tried to joke.

Robin gave her the smallest smile as he filled with relief; at least she wasn't pissed for his impulsive action. He carefully removed a strand of fallen hair from her face and placed it behind her ear, watching how she blushed and loosened her grip on his shirt.

She took another breath before asking her next question, internally dreading the answer. "Why did you do that?"

Robin sighed as he dropped his hands from her face, resting them on hers as his thumbs softly stroked the back of her hands. He didn't know how to answer that without the possibility of scaring her off.

"Regina, I-"

"Why don't we go for a coffee?" She interrupted, "I don't want to risk Henry seeing us like this." She gestured to their joined hands with her eyes.

Robin went quiet as he nodded in agreement before placing small kiss on her hand, the Englishman was positively terrified, he had no idea what would happen with Regina now, all he wanted was an explanation as to why she was really here tonight and he ended up doing the one thing they had both only dreamed of doing. Robin reluctantly removed his hands from hers as they walked side by side to the same cafe she had been with Henry earlier that day, both of them resisting the urge to intertwine their fingers as they walked. When they entered the cafe, they were both thankful that it was relatively so they made their way to an empty, secluded booth at the back.

Again, they found themselves sitting in silence before either of gathered up the courage to say anything. Robin finally decided that he would be the one to bite the bullet; after all, Regina wasn't the one who marched over to him and kissed him.

"I understand if you don't want to see me again, I don't know what I was thinking but I am not sorry for kissing you, Regina. I have spent weeks with you on my mind and no matter what I do, you are always there. Whatever happened before, whatever I done to upset you I'm sorry but I will not apologise for that kiss." He didn't mean to sound like an ass but Robin didn't want her to think that he regretted kissing her, in fact, he would love nothing more than for them to put whatever issues they had aside and just... Hold her.

Regina was momentarily surprised but his tiny outburst, however, she wasn't going to lie, he wasn't the only one who wasn't sorry for the kiss. She was glad he had done it but she doubted that she would ever admit that out loud to him.

"Robin, as surprising as this may sound to you, I'm not angry or upset and I also don't regret any of what just happened," she smiled at his confused look, "but whatever it was... Whatever provoked it cannot escalate any further. Not only do you have your life ahead of you, you're my son's friend and, and..." She paused for a few seconds, "Isn't there some sort of code against that?"

Robin chuckled at her confusion but before he had the chance to tease her, Regina carried on. "I care about you, Robin; you've made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time but you and I both know that nothing can ever come of this." It pained Regina to say those words, she hated to break the guy's heart especially since she her feelings were just as strong as his were but she couldn't do that to him. How would it even work with her being in Storybrooke and him being here? There was just no way she could allow him to throw his life away for her.

The eighteen-year-old gave her a sad nod, understanding where she was coming from completely. It wasn't that he had gotten his hopes up, it's just that he could himself with Regina long-term, he had never met someone who was so similar yet contrasted him at the same time. Regina was nothing like any of the other females he had encountered previously, there was something special about her and Robin felt his heart drop knowing that nothing would ever come of it. He knew that there was nothing he could say or do that would change Regina's mind, not that he would ever try to, he respected her and he wanted her to know that he wasn't going to push his luck and destroy any sort of relationship between them. However, he could also sense that there was something off with Regina's words; he had noticed that she had hesitated multiple times as if trying to think of something to say but he didn't want to press on the subject, it was just as hard for as it was for him.

"Perhaps in another life." He told her, trying to be as optimistic as he could, gently placing his hand on top of hers across the table when she smiled at his statement. "You deserve the world, Regina, and I am so unbelievably sorry that I can't give you that."

The older woman could feel her eyes well at it, if only he knew that that is exactly what he'd be giving her if they were together but she quickly composed herself, exhaling a breath as they sat for another few moments just gazing at one another before Robin offered to walk her back to her car, his blue eyes sparkling when she agreed.

The two arrived by her car quicker than they had hoped and they both stood awkwardly by the door, Robin's hands going into his pockets when she moved to get into the driver's seat. Her arm was outstretched as to hold the car door open as she took one last look at the man in front of her.

"Goodnight, Robin, you were amazing tonight." She whispered.

"I'll see you around, Regina." He replied, walking back to the building with a defeated look on his face. Unbeknownst to him, Regina, rather than started her car and getting out on the road, was sitting clutching the steering wheel, contemplating on whether she do what was now playing on her mind.

Half an hour later, Robin was laying in his bed in a white tank top and grey sweatpants, his hands linked behind his head as he pretended to listen to whatever Henry was talking about. The Englishman wasn't particularly interested in what the boy had to say, all he could think about was how he had ruined everything with his mother. Henry, who wasn't even aware that Robin was focussed on something entirely different, continued to go on and on about his classes and the assignments they had given him to do. However, the boy was interrupted by a knock on the door. Both he and Robin glanced up at it with equally as confused looks on their faces.

"Expecting someone?" Robin asked as he sat up.

Henry shook his head before making his way to the door and opening it, his jaw dropping slightly in shock when he saw his mother on the other side of the door. Robin, realising who was at the door, immediately looked to the ground, unable to face the woman he had been pining over for the past few months. Regina, not particularly caring that Henry was probably confused about why she was there, spoke up.

"I think I left my phone back in the auditorium, could you do me a favour and please find it for me?" She found the lie she had been conjuring up in her car for the last half hour come out a lot easier than she thought it would. Not once in her life had she ever lied to her son yet here she was, taking him for a fool and it was all because of the teenager sitting on the bed behind Henry.

Thankfully, her son believed her and nodded as he invited her in to sit whilst he went to find her phone that was sitting in her purse in her car. As soon as he had left the room, Regina walked slowly over to his bed and stood in front of it, facing Robin.

"When did you last have your phone?" Robin asked, still refusing to look at her.

Regina crossed her arms. "When you walked me to my car." She revealed to him.

Robin's head snapped up, his eyes instantly meeting hers. Regina immediately sensed his confusion and figured she that it was now or never.

"I have spent the last thirty minutes sitting in my car with nothing but you on my mind. I don't know what it is about you or why you make me feel this way but I know I'm idiot for saying what I did in that cafe. Robin, my whole life I have been afraid to just... Let myself go, to take risks and that's exactly what you are, Robin Locksley, how I feel about you is unpredictable, the future between you and I is unpredictable and you have no idea how much that terrifies me. I hate myself for feeling this way, you have your whole life ahead of you and you are willing to throw it away for me. Every single day I wake up with you on my mind and I have to tell myself to forget about it because I'm scared, I'm scared because I've had a plan my entire life and I can't just... Derail from any of it!" Her voice cracked as she went on but Robin interrupted her before she could go further.

"Then why are you here, Regina?" He almost raised his voice.

"Because today's not one of those days!" She rushed out before grabbing his face and crushing his lips to hers, feeling herself having to reach up slightly when he stood up, his hands immediately going to caress her back.

This kiss was nothing like their last one, this one had so much more meaning behind, there was passion but there was also the gentleness of it, their teeth almost clashing together with the force of it but neither of them cared. Unlike before, Regina was now the one who requested access to Robin's mouth, immediately going to caress explore his mouth when he granted her access, neither of them caring about dominance. As they continued to get carried away by the moment of passion, Regina could feel Robin's hands begin to wander, however, she knew he was holding back on her as each time she felt them getting closer to her curvaceous behind, he would halt his movements or retract his hands completely. The brunette wasn't sure if she was grateful or upset that he was being so respectful to her body but she didn't really care if she was being honest, her mind was in a haze as they continued to lock lips. Her right hand carefully moved from cupping one of his cheeks to reaching behind his head and gently playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Neither of them knew who had moaned first, in fact, they were both so hung up on each other that they forgot where they even were. After mutually pulling away, Robin rested his forehead against Regina's, keeping his eyes trained on her lips. They remained in their embrace as Robin's hands moved to Regina's hips whilst hers slowly glided up and down his bare arms, her nails scratching his skin lightly.

Robin, trying to ignore how good the sensation of her nails against his skin felt, knew he had to address the elephant in the room. "What does this mean?"

Regina continued her movements, gently rubbing her nose against his. "It means I'm an idiot for even cutting contact with you in the first place." She said regretfully.

The Englishman felt his heart go out to her as he lightly brushed her hair back from her forehead. "Hey, you were right to do that. I just want you to be comfortable and know that whatever you want, I will respect you choice, even if that meant not talking to you for an insufferable amount of time." He tried to cheer her up, smiling when it done the trick. "You're so beautiful."

Regina blushed as she tried to hide her face, not used to being in such close proximity with Robin. However, Robin gently tilted her chin with her finger, forcing her to look at him. "Don't try to tell yourself any different, you, Regina Mills, are the definition of beauty."

There was a brief pause between them.

"Be with me." Robin told her nervously, he didn't mean to just blurt it out like that.

Regina's eyes widened in shock, not because she didn't want to be with Robin but because he had said it as if it was a completely normal statement. "Robin," she began but was swiftly cut off.

"I know it's scary and I know that it's out of your comfort zone but it's the same for me. Regina, I care about you, more than I've ever cared about a woman. Yes, we may be two completely separate people but wouldn't that make us better? I don't care how old you are or how you look, everything about you is what makes you beautiful and I am honoured that you even looked twice in my direction. Regina, I will respect your decision regardless but please consider this an option." He said.

Regina let out a breathy chuckle as she gave him a small smile, "You could have any other female you want-" Again, she was cut off.

"And I want you, Regina, I choose you..." He whispered.

Regina smiled in awe at his choice of words as she gently stroked his now longer stubble before placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "What is it about you, Robin Locksley?" She asked, repeating the very same words she had uttered to him months ago.

Robin kissed her palm lightly, "Please, Regina," his plead going unheard.

The brunette looked at him with admiration in her brown eyes, "I would love nothing more than to be yours..."

The Englishman looked at her with a small smile before meeting her lips with another kiss as he pulled her tighter into him, her arms locking around his neck. Before it could escalate any further, Robin quickly remembered where they where and that Henry was probably heading back to the dorm after being able to find an non-existent phone and pecked Regina's nose as they pulled apart. As if reading his mind, Regina sighed.

"I should go," Robin nodded in understanding as they fully separated from each other. The eighteen-year-old looked over at the clock and realised that it was coming up for ten thirty and he felt a rush of worry fill his mind.

"Stay."

Regina looked at him with confusion, "What?"

"It's too late for you to be driving, stay here," he offered.

"We both know I can't."

Robin realised that she probably thought she would have to sleep beside him and quickly cleared up any confusion, "I'll go to a hotel for the night and you can have my bed." He said as if it was nothing.

Regina shook her head, appreciating his concern. "Robin, no, I can't do that to you. Besides, I don't mind the drive, the roads will be empty."

The Englishman disagreed, the thought of Regina driving on a pitch black road for four hours did not sit well with him but he knew there was no way he could convince her to stay here. Quickly thinking of an alternative, he grabbed his wallet and took out a fifty dollar bill. However, Regina immediately knew what he was about to imply and shook her head again.

"I'm not taking your money for a hotel, I'll be fine driving." Robin sighed in defeat.

"Regina, please, I don't want you driving out there alone at this time of night."

The older woman felt her heart flutter over how concerned Robin was for her and weighed out her options, realising that she was already tired and probably wouldn't last for an extra four hours but she also didn't want to take Robin's bed or his money but, considering she barely even had enough money for a coffee with her, she would have no other option. Robin could see her inner conflict with herself and smiled softly.

"You can take my bed, I'll find somewhere."

Before she could protest, Henry walked in the room. "Hey, mom, I, uh, couldn't find your phone back there," he paused noticing that Robin was still holding money in his hand, "What's going on?"

The lovers turned to look at the teenager but before Regina said anything, Robin jumped in. "It's too late for your mother to drive and I've offered her my bed for the night."

Both Regina and Henry's eyes widened at Robin's words before the Englishman repeated the action, "I mean, I'll be sleeping elsewhere." He stuttered.

If Henry wasn't in the room with them, Regina swore she would have kissed the adorable look off of Robin's face as to reassure him but the pair both knew they had to control themselves around the boy.

"Okay," Henry drew out, "Well, if that's happening then why don't you just bunk with me?" He asked Robin.

Robin immediately shot down the idea, the beds were far too small to hold two grown males but as he was about to reply, Henry suggested something else. "Actually, you know that chair reclines a little bit?" He said as he walked over to the chair beside the computer and reclined it back, it wasn't fully horizontal but it was enough to the point where you could probably get a good night's sleep. This idea appealed to everyone. However, Regina realised that she still couldn't spend the night considering the fact that she hadn't brought a spare change of clothing and she couldn't exactly sleep in her dress or her underwear, especially if she was going to be sleeping in Robin's bed.

"Are you alright?" It was as if he knew she was thinking about him.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything to change into, dear." She said lowly.

Robin had to bite his tongue to refrain from saying anything that may result in a pool of arousal for both of them.

"Dude, could you give her some clothes? Mines are still at the dry cleaners and all I have are polo shirts and trousers." Henry said, not realising that his mother and roommate were sharing looks of lust.

Robin just nodded as he pulled out a t-shirt and another pair of sweatpants from his drawer, he was going to give her a pair of his boxers to wear but he figured that it would be too inappropriate and give Henry the wrong idea. The Englishman handed his clothes over to a blushing Regina as he turned his back to give her some privacy, Henry already jumping in bed facing the wall.

Regina blushed furiously when she looked at the size of the clothes Robin had just given her, she knew that she was shorter than him by a mile but he was also quite lean and the body of an athlete which only made his t-shirt slightly bigger. She could feel butterflies in her stomach when she stripped herself of her dress, realising that Robin was directly behind her, although she knew that he was looking away out of respect, she wished he would just turn around for the briefest moment and allow his eyes to wander. However, she had the t-shirt on before he would even have had the chance to look, the brunette had to contain a snort when the shirt pooled down just above her thighs before picking up the sweatpants he had given as threw them on, her feet still covered by part of the material. Rolling her eyes, she rolled up the legs of them until they were just past her ankles and climbed into her lover's bed. Once again blushing at the thought of her being in his bed and wearing his clothes, there was something oddly intimate about both of these things but she knew she had to push those thoughts to the back of her mind if she was to get any sleep tonight.

Robin, who had heard her get into his bed, turned around and smiled at the sight. He could get used to seeing the brunette wearing his clothes; she looked adorably tiny in them. The Englishman, checking to see if Henry was asleep or at least not paying attention kneeled in front of the older woman and smiled when his eyes met hers. He gently stroked her cheek before leaning over and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Regina." He whispered as he watched her blush again and whisper her own goodnight.

The eighteen-year-old then moved towards his 'bed' for the night and sighed as he partially lay down. Despite knowing that this was going to be an uncomfortable night for him, the thought of what had happened between him and Regina moments ago only made him smile as he closed his eyes, dreaming of the brunette who was seconds away from him as she snuggled deeper into his pillow, basking in the scent of his aftershave as she imagined being in his arms throughout the night.


	9. Chapter 9

**_This chapter is more of a filler than anything else and for that I can only apologise but it is still essentially to the story as a whole! I hope you guys like it! Also, there will be an author's note at the bottom that's kinda of important but don't worry about it right now, please enjoy!_**

The following morning, Regina slowly blinked herself awake as she sleepily took in her surroundings, feeling a brief moment of panic flow through her before she quickly remembered where she was and snuggled back into the single bed. The brunette blushed as she remembered that she was wearing Robin's clothes, feeling slightly bad for him having to sleep on the obviously uncomfortable chair when she would have gladly allowed him in bed beside her had it not been for Henry. Regina looked up at the clock on the wall next to the door and realised that it was only eight in the morning so, much to her relief, both Henry and Robin were still sound asleep. The older woman carefully and quietly began to extract herself from her bed, stretching out her muscles to get out any kinks before standing up just as quietly and retrieving her clothes from where she had neatly folded them on the desk. She was reluctant to remove Robin's clothes from her body but she knew she that if she didn't leave now she doubted she would be able to say goodbye to Robin without kissing him senselessly so she stripped herself of the larger clothes before folding them up neatly and placing them on the bed she had also made up. Once she was dressed she took a longing glance at Robin, smiling softly as she took in his appearance on the reclined chair. She quietly walked over to him, noticing how peaceful and innocent he looked when he was sleeping and gently glided her knuckles down his cheek, hoping that he would remain asleep, when he showed no sign of waking she smiled and leaned forward, carefully not to knock him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, lingering for a few seconds before turning away. Before she left the room, she looked over at her son, who was still laying in bed snoring softly, Regina smiled at her baby boy, internally praising him for who he had become and with that, the older woman left the room and headed to the car park, preparing herself for a four hour drive as she reminded herself to text Robin as soon as she got in her car as to ensure him that she wasn't running from him.

An hour and a half later, Robin found himself in the exact same position as Regina had been in prior to him as he woke up slowly; trying not to wince at the pain in his neck from the angle he had slept in. The blue-eyed teenager quickly remembered the reason why he was even sleeping that chair in the first place and looked over to his bed, confusion filling his mind when he was met with his neatly folded clothes laying on his newly made up bed, if he didn't know any better some would assume that the bed hadn't been touched last night. The Englishman stood up from the chair, noticing that Henry was still fast asleep, and stretched, his arms flexing with each movement. He let out a sigh before picking up his phone to check if he had any messages, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw that he had one from Regina. He quickly opened it and read it before sending out a reply.

' _I had to get back home and I knew that if I stayed any longer I wouldn't be able to control myself, I hope you put my number to good use and perhaps we'll be seeing each other again soon;)_ '

Robin let out a quiet chuckle as he reread her message, of course Regina would remain formal even through a text message. The Englishman quickly replied to her, telling her he would have to have been an idiot not to use her number and that he looked forward to seeing her. However, as he considered calling her, he realised that she was still driving and now, his roommate was beginning to stir. Robin put his phone back on the desk as he locked it just in case Henry somehow caught site of the messages and grabbed some clean clothes, telling his partially sleeping roommate that he was going for a shower as he left the room.

Over the next few days, Robin and Regina could barely find enough time to talk to each other that wasn't through texts but, even on the days they hadn't spoken, Robin would always send her a text in the morning and at night to cheer up if she was having a bad day and Regina was grateful for that. At first, Regina was reluctant to call Robin or allow him to call her when Henry was in the room with him but after Robin successfully convinced the boy that he was talking to a friend from home, Regina became more and more confident and felt less guilty about the idea of him being her son's friend. Although they still hadn't made anything official yet, they were both beginning to develop stronger feelings for one another and they knew, especially Regina, that this wasn't just a small phase for either of them. Throughout their conversations, Robin would tell Regina about his time back in England with more detail than before and she was now aware that his parents were the reason behind his course choice at college and she couldn't help but feel for him, however, she also knew that there was very little she could do as she didn't feel as though it was her place to tell him to stand up to the people who had raised him. On the other hand, Robin would listen in awe as Regina spoke passionately about her job and admired her for being able to raise Henry alone, to which he comforted her when she almost broke down to the mere thought of Daniel. They couldn't help their feelings for another but they each knew that at this point there was no turning back and they were both more than willing to go that extra step.

It was now three days before Christmas and Henry was packing his bag to go home, they had been given the next two weeks off and the teenager had spent most of them preparing for his first official trip back to Storybrooke. Robin, however, was indifferent and had spent the first few days of their break getting caught up on any work he had missed and trying not to let his annoyance at his parents grow. He had called them the night before to let them know he would be able to make it back to New York for Christmas only for his father to tell him that they had left a few days prior and were now back in England visiting family for the holidays, although Robin was deeply upset about the situation, he tried not to let his disappointment show and played it off as if everything was fine. Not even when Regina had asked him what he was doing over Christmas did he allow himself to falter, this was his issue and he didn't want to get anyone else involved.

"Dude, aren't you going to start packing?" Henry asked, placing the last article of clothing into his rucksack.

"I don't have a reason to, my parents are in England for the holidays so I'll be staying here," he shrugged.

Henry immediately halted his actions and turned his head to face his roommate, a look of confusion and shock on his face. "You can't spend Christmas stuck in this hellhole, do you have any other family members here you could stay with?"

"Just my parents and brother, it's fine, I'll get some quiet and besides, it gives me a chance to get caught up on work."

His roommate shook his head, "No way am I letting you sit here by yourself on Christmas," Robin went to interrupt but Henry refused to let him, "Listen, I can call my mom and I'm sure she'd be more than happy to have you with us in Storybrooke, we've got plenty room in the house and hey, the more the merrier."

Robin had to bite his tongue to refrain from making a comment about how Regina wouldn't mind his arrival; however, the Englishman really didn't want to impose on their holiday regardless of what his relationship with Regina was. As if sensing that Robin was prepared to argue a point as to why he couldn't go with him, Henry stepped in.

"Come on, man, I'm not going to let you spend your first Christmas here alone... Please?" Henry continued to beg.

Eventually, Robin rolled his eyes and gave in with a nod, the only thing on his mind being Regina and how he would deal with living in her house for at least a week. The Englishman then watched as Henry immediately called his mother to inform her of the slight change made before sending out a text of his own to the woman apologising for the inconvenience. After packing his bag, purposely including the shirt and sweatpants Regina wore the night she was here, the two friends made their way out of the college and towards the bus that would take them straight to Maine.

 ** _So what did everyone think? I'm really sorry that it's not the best chapter but there wasn't much else I could do with it without taking parts out of the next chapter but I really hope you enjoyed it and thank you all for bearing with me as we get through this story together. I also have to let you guys know that as of now, updates may become less frequent due to personal reasons (Nothing serious but I won't have as much time to upload) but I will not be abandoning this fic or putting it on hiatus, I can promise you all that I will update as much as I can throughout the week and I truly hope that this doesn't deter you from this story, I'm going to be on top of it as much as I can and I promise you that I will finish this story! I'm sorry if it's not the most ideal but I hope to see you all back next time, thank you all for staying with me so far!_**


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